Assignment We had to find someone that we didn't really know and wanted to get to know better.
I thought of the idea to approach my 'new' neighbours, They have lived next to us for a while but because of covid we haven't really spoken to them.
They are Indian and have a different culture.
There have brought us some Indian desserts to try.
I also brought them some cupcakes with easter. Which their daughter really liked, because she's really into sweets.
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I thought it would be fun to try to connect with them trough desserts or even food in general.
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Their names are Raghav, Shruthi and Shreshta Narayan
22/11
I went by their house after diner to ask if they would like to participate in my assignment.
I walked in and at first i forgot they don't speak dutch so i proceeded in english. When i walked in i already told them i'm a little bit nervous. I do speak english but when you're nervous it sometimes takes a little more effort to try to explain what i mean.
They agreed immediately, without knowing what the assignment would be. The assignment was also very vague at that moment so i explained them what i thought was the plan.
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We already started a conversation about multiple things like my school. They asked how the school system works in The Netherlands which i tried to explain, but is indeed very complicated if you're not used to is. But their daughter is four so they have a while before she has to choose which high school she wants to got to.
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Culteral Probe
For the assignment we had to make a culteral probe which the participants would complete. I thought it would be more fun to do something together instead of giving it away and let them do all the work.
I wanted us to make a dessert together, so for the things i wanted to punt in my culteral probe i asked them a recipe for us to make together and i would bring the ingredients.
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11/12
To set a date to make the dessert I went over there and we decided on tomorrow.
To my surprise another neighbour Dert, showed up because they had plans. This neighbour lives a few houses further and I already knew him, he saw me grew up around here.
I know he sells art so he was very interested in what i'm doing now with school.
We all talked together for hours on things like the pandemic, woman rights here compared to India and other things that are different over here. Raghav also asked a lot of questions about this he was curious about. Like the fact that politics here isn't intertwined with religion as it is in India.
I really enjoyed having these conversations and they also liked the fact that i had some different standpoint on certain things, maybe because i'm younger.
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12/12
We made an Indian dessert called Carror hawla. I made it together with shruthi, while making the dessert we talked about al kinds of things.
After i Brought some home with me. My mom, my sister and I are really into sweets but my dad isn't so we were curious if it was to sweet for him.
My mom and i really liked, so when i texted her the dessert was wel received her, she thanked me for coming and that she had fun because she hadn't made this in a while.
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The day after i even brought some to school for my teacher, which she really enjoyed:
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22/12
We invited them over to drink some beer my dad keeps in our 'cellar'. They brought their daughter, she's four and very cute. She is currenlty learning Dutch while she already speaks a Indian dialect and english.
After a while Shreshta wanted to do something so we wanted to pick a game, she panted to draw, and she had a full desk of almost unlimited colors of markers to choose from. At first she was a bit shy, so i started to draw her something to color in.
Which she really enjoyed:
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08/01
At first i wanted to invite the to come over and have some kind of Christmas dinner, but because they came at ours for some drinks, they felt like they should invite us at their house next. We made plans for them to do the diner and we would do the dessert.
Me and my mom made something called 'Broodschotel' which was an old recipe from my grandma. It is kinda like french toast with apple and raisins.
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We went there around half past seven, they usually eat very late especially compared to the dutch. the moment i walked in Shreshta handed me a marker and a paper to indicate for me to draw her another picture, which i thought was very sweet.
We first started to talk a bit, and when they offered to start dinner we went to the table.
To our surprise we got the idea that they would not be eating while where. They said: "guest first then we eat."
So we sat down and we ate, they where there just talking with us, but just not eating.
We got a salad made out of carrots, some fried vegetable biscuits and curry with rice. The carrot salad looks innocent, but it was very spicy but was also very tasty. (they even apologised that it was so spicy but i think it was just extra spicy because we didn't expect a carrot salad would include chili).
When out plaste was almost empty they would refill it again, until we couldn't anymore. After we where done we talked for a bit, until we left. But they still hadn't eaten yet when we left around eleven, but they told us they usually eat this late.
09/01
I was very curious how they experienced the past few weeks getting to know each other. So i brought them cards to write back to me, and on the front i left a drawing for Shreshta to color in. Along with some carrot cakes cupcakes (the only complained i got about these was the fact that they where to small).
All in a very cute handmade box with a plastic window like in cake boxes at bakeries, but heart shaped.
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12/01
On Tuesday i picked up the cards. I really l loved reading the massage they wrote for me. And that they had as much fun getting to know one another as I had.
We already made some plans for them to come make cupcakes together at our house.
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